Staff working on ITV’s flagship news program Good Morning Britain have noticed their bosses meeting more than usual at their west London studios. They also seem increasingly stressed in recent weeks.
Cause? Host Ed Balls, loved by bosses and, more pertinently, the show’s director, Susanna Reid.
But the former Labor MP turned TV personality, nicknamed Red Ed courtesy of his left-wing principles, has been causing ITV a major headache.
He has been noticeably absent from the GMB sofa, where he has been on the rotating guest presenter list since 2021, since he and his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, were caught up in the ‘Taylorgate’ scandal currently blighting the Keir Starmer government.
Last week it emerged that Cooper had been involved in talks with Scotland Yard that led to officers agreeing to give Swift a blue-light police escort to and from her Wembley concerts in August.
Former Labor MP turned TV personality Ed Balls has been noticeably absent from the Good Morning Britain sofa alongside Susanna Reid.
Complaints from GMB viewers arose when Balls interviewed his own wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, after she appeared on the show in August.
It was later revealed that the Minister of the Interior had attended one of the singer’s concerts as a guest of her husband, to whom Swift’s record label, Universal, had given four free tickets.
Although her absence could simply be due to scheduling and not her turn (other hosts in the rotation include Trisha Goddard and Richard Madeley), there is much speculation about whether she should be on the television news show.
Balls and Cooper, who have been married since 1998 and have three children together, have been a political couple for decades.
Since his links to the latest scandal emerged, Balls has not set foot in the studio as bosses struggle to find a solution to the problem.
Balls’ links to the Labor Party (he joined the party when he was 16 and was Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families during Tony Blair’s government and later as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer) mean impartiality is practically impossible, and as a news program, GMB should not be biased.
While Reid, who launched the show just over a decade ago, “loves it”, ITV’s upper echelons were promised “no more drama” after the Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby saga on sister show This Morning .
A GMB member tells me: ‘There are now serious disagreements about what to do for the better. All this is a headache, he is highly valued as a broadcaster, but now he is causing real problems.
‘ITV is desperately trying to find a solution. Ed is well liked by the team, but has become a growing headache with accusations of bias ruining the program.
The complaints began in August, when Balls interviewed his wife on the show to talk about the wave of violent unrest that swept Britain following the Southport murders.
Three little girls were stabbed to death and ten others were seriously injured at a Taylor Swift dance class on July 29, sparking a snowball of misinformation online, falsely claiming the killer was an illegal immigrant.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s appearance on the show sparked an avalanche of objections on social media.
GMB main presenter Susanna Reid, who launched the show more than a decade ago, is said to “adore” co-host Balls.
The GMB presenting line-up includes: (From left) Charlotte Hawkins, Adil Ray, Richard Madeley, Susanna Reid, Kate Garraway, Ed Balls and Ranvir Singh
Some love dances. Others are “utterly appalled” that the show would allow itself to be open to accusations of political bias.
Many thought Cooper had an “easy ride,” and Balls staunchly defended his partner and the government during the interview.
One furious critic wrote to the show: ‘How could you let Ed Balls interview his own wife, Yvette Cooper?! That’s not journalism, it’s a cozy little chat between spouses. Biased doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Sources at Good Morning Britain, which celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year, say the interview plunged the show into a “crisis” when they saw several of its viewers complain to Ofcom about bias in its political coverage. The television regulator recorded 16,000 complaints about the program.
“It all went pretty crazy, the bosses all left together,” a source said. ‘ITV is so paranoid about what is written on social media about their shows that they see it as a criterion of what viewers think, so they take it very seriously.
“The bosses were furious. “There were very angry people.”
The dust was just beginning to settle when the news agenda began to be dominated by stories of Labor giveaways and cronyism involving donor Lord Alli. Veteran daytime television host Richard Madeley quickly intervened.
Balls resigned as an MP and his popularity soared when he took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016.
Some wonder if it was a calculated move. Other show sources point out that there is a shift system and insist that it is simply Madeley’s turn.
Whatever the truth, it is the cause of a divide among GMB’s backroom staff. Some are calling it the biggest crisis since former presenter Piers Morgan resigned over comments he made about Meghan Markle in 2021.
Some adore Balls, whose popularity soared after he quit as an MP and took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016. Others are “utterly appalled” that the show would allow itself to be open to accusations of political bias.
However, he also has some strong allies on the show – his main presenter, and fellow Strictly veteran, Susanna Reid is said to be “loving every second” of hosting alongside him.
“She thinks he’s a real joy,” said a colleague. ‘Susanna thinks viewers love him and he is a very sharp interviewer. She feels absolutely comfortable sitting next to him and believes they both have a great relationship.’
Of course, since Morgan’s departure three years ago, she is the queen of the show and, I’m told, her opinion matters.
“There are strong opinions at ITV about this, how can things be fair and impartial if he’s the host?” says a source. ‘It’s not just about Yvette, it’s about other Labor MPs and an anti-Tory narrative. It’s an incredible decision to have Ed.”
It was later revealed that the total number of complaints lodged with Ofcom had reached 16,812, but the organization said it would not investigate.
However, ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall confirmed that Balls will not interview his wife again.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society conference, McCall said: “It was a very, very complicated morning, almost a national emergency was called, so we had very little notice that the Home Secretary was coming to the programme.”
‘She was doing a whole round (of interviews), but it was unexpected and we believe it was fair and impartial.
‘And actually, Ofcom has just ruled, but surprisingly no one has picked up on the fact that they are not pursuing these complaints, because they believe it is fair, balanced and impartial.
‘So, would we do it again? No. Was it impartial, fair and balanced? And did they behave professionally? Yeah.’
So how did Balls, a former Labor MP for Morley and Outwood in West Yorkshire, get such a prestigious job on a news program where bias had to be avoided at all costs?
The answer dates back to 2021, when Morgan sensationally left the show after five years. He refused to apologize for questioning Markle’s claims that being part of the Royal Family affected her mental health.
Since then, they have been unable to find a suitable male replacement and Balls was recruited on a trial basis.
It was so successful that he took on more turns when Ben Shephard went to present This Morning, alongside Cat Deeley, in March.
“It has been absolutely impossible to find the right replacement for Piers,” said a show insider.
‘You would think that someone might want the job, but that hasn’t been the case. Ed has proven to be good, but the big problem is that he is the husband of the quintessential politician, turned ITV favorite.
“And the worry is that it will all end in tears.”